US Claims Strike Destroyed Iran Revolutionary Guard HQ, Calls It Decisive Blow

The United States military on Monday said it had destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, calling the strike a decisive blow against the country’s powerful security establishment amid a rapidly escalating regional conflict.

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) described the operation as having “cut off the head of the snake,” and released footage purportedly showing a missile strike launched from a naval vessel hitting the IRGC command complex. In a social media post, CENTCOM accused the IRGC of being responsible for the deaths of more than 1,000 Americans over the past four decades.

The IRGC, created after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution to safeguard the Islamic system, operates independently of the regular army and reports directly to the country’s supreme leader. It oversees Iran’s missile programme, regional proxy networks, and significant segments of the country’s strategic military infrastructure.

According to US officials, the strike forms part of a broader campaign targeting Iranian command-and-control centres, missile facilities, naval assets, air defence systems and military communications networks. The Pentagon said operations would continue against what it described as “imminent threats” posed by the Iranian regime.

The escalation comes as fighting spreads across the Middle East. Iran has launched missiles toward Israeli and Gulf targets in retaliation, while Israel has expanded strikes linked to Iran and allied groups in the region. Casualties have been reported on multiple sides, with regional governments warning of further instability if hostilities continue.

Iran has vowed retaliation, raising fears of a prolonged and wider conflict involving major global and regional powers.